THE BIRDS OF THE ISLAND OF TIREE 



243 



had a wing cut clean off by striking against the telegraph wire. 

 This bird was so savage that the spaniel which went to retrieve it 

 was punished badly by the gull's powerful beak, and the dog had to 

 leave it. They do not make any lengthened stay at the island. 



Kittiwake Gull (jRissa tridactyld). This is a pretty little Gull, 

 and harmless to anything on land, so far as I know. They feed 

 mostly at sea, and sometimes close inshore on Sand Eels, Herring 

 fry, and other small fish. They nest on precipitous cliffs at 

 Kennavara, and their nests are quite inaccessible. Kitti wakes can 

 dive. I often see them go right under water after small fish, but 

 they do not go very deep. The natives, when they go to fish for 

 Cod, always make for where the Kittiwakes are congregated, as they 

 know that when the birds are feeding on small fry above, the Cod 

 will be feeding on them below. 



Richardson's Skua (Stercorarius crepidatus). These Skuas 

 are numerous round the coast of the island all summer and early 

 autumn. They usually arrive about the beginning of June. They used 

 to nest on rough ground at Loch Dhu, but as the natives take the 

 Gulls' eggs, I don't know whether they nest there now. I once 

 found a bird of this species dead on the shore, which had been 

 choked in trying to swallow a Gurnard. It had tried to swallow the 

 fish head first, but had got the fish so firmly jammed in its throat, 

 that the spikes of the Gurnard were protruding through the skin of 

 the neck. They leave about September, but an odd straggler may 

 be seen now and again in winter. 



Razorbill (Alca tordd). Abundant throughout the year off the 

 coast of the island. They only come to land during the breeding 

 season. They breed on the cliffs at Kennavara Head, the most 

 south-westerly point of the island, and the only part where there are 

 inaccessible cliffs. Some of the young birds must tumble from 

 a considerable height to get to the water. 



Guillemot (Uria troile). This species is hardly so numerous 

 as the Razorbill. They breed at Kennavara in the cliffs, along 

 with the Razorbill. They feed on Sand Eels and other small fish, 

 which they chase and catch under water. They can travel much 

 faster under water with their wings to help them than they can 

 when swimming on the surface. The same remarks apply to the 

 Razorbills. 



Little Auk (Mergulus alle).l have never found a live bird of 

 this species that I can remember, but I have often found a few dead 



